5 september 2026
Royal Library of Belgium
Who will be at Chess & Mates festival?
The Queen of Chess
Judit Polgar is the strongest female chess player in history and the only woman to have consistently competed on equal terms with the world’s best men, reaching a world ranking of No. 8. A global ambassador for chess in education, she created the Judit Polgar Method, helping children develop key skills through chess. Judit Polgar began playing chess at the age of five. In 1989, at just twelve years old, she became the No.1–ranked woman in the world; a position she held for the next 26 years.
Best Belgian chess player
Earned his Grandmaster title at the age of 15.
Reached his peak Elo rating of 2665 in March 2025, pushing him into the Top 100 global rankings.
Bosnian-Dutch Grandmaster
Widely recognized as one of the world's premier elite chess trainers and authors
Famously defeated legendary world champions including Garry Kasparov, Vladimir Kramnik and Viswanathan Anand.
Woman International Master and gold medalist at the Women's Chess Olympiad in 2006.
Prominent host, interviewer and content creator at high-profile chess events like the Freestyle tournaments, Wijk aan Zee (the "Wimbeldon of chess"), Grenke, Gotham Chess tour and many others.
Prime Minister of Belgium
The Prime Minister of Belgium will be one of the 20 challengers facing the Queen of Chess in a simultaneous exhibition (attendance confirmed, barring unforeseen political developments).
The festival is within easy walking distance of Brussels-Central Station.
Visitors arriving by car can use the nearby Interparking Albertine-Square.
Please note that the festival has two entrances:
General festival admission: KBR public entrance
Exclusive Festival Experience and Photo & Signing Session: Palace Charles de Lorraine entrance
We would like to thank our valued partners, without whom these chess festivals would not be possible.